Sort of Fear
by dawnmescher
Summary: 11 Year Old Padma Patil gets Sorted


Title: Sort of Fear  
Fandom: Harry Potter 

Characters: Padma Patil

Words: 760  
A/N: Padma goes through the Sorting Process.  
  
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"Patil, Padma!"

Taking shaky breaths, Padma took the first step up the small stairs to the stool set out in front of the Hall. Every eye was on her. She thought hyperventilation would be the best option. Padma wasn't used to this kind of attention. She was used to cooing and coaxing by her parent's customers. She recalled the adults praising her, telling her father what a magnificent child she was. How precocious, how sharp, how quick-witted, they called her.

Another step.

_Remember what your father told you, Padma_, she reminded herself. _'It doesn't matter what House you get sorted into. You'll still my brilliant daughter.'_ Thinking about her father seemed to ease her mind. She turned around, facing the rest of the students. There were hundreds of gawking students. It seemed to Padma that there were thousands.

Yet another step.

She revived the words she'd read about the Sorting Hat: how it came to be and where it might place her. She remembered that Godric Gryffindor, one of the founding members of Hogwarts, had taken the hat off his very head. What had it sang, just moments before?

_You might belong in Gryffindor,   
Where dwell the brave at heart,   
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry   
Set Gryffindors apart;   
You might belong in Hufflepuff,   
Where they are just and loyal,   
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true   
And unafraid of toil;   
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,   
If you've a ready mind,   
Where those of wit and learning,   
Will always find their kind;   
Or perhaps in Slytherin   
You'll make your real friends,   
Those cunning folks use any means   
To achieve their ends. _

Sitting down, she closed her eyes. _Think positive_, Padma warned herself. _Where do you want to be for the next seven years?_

Did she want to be in Gryffindor? Was she brave? Did she have nerve? She didn't feel very daring. What of Hufflepuff, then? She was loyal, almost to a fault. She couldn't even remember the number of times she had defended her sister to the other children their age when Parvati's abrasive temper would get out of line. Padma was not afraid of work, either. Ravenclaw? _It could be_, she thought. She'd always felt quick when it came to books. She loved to read and learn. Or would it be Slytherin? She was clever, but she didn't think she could possibly cheat off someone else's parchment to get ahead. 

The hat came down on her head. The wide brim opened. It seemed to her that something probed her head, separating her lobes. Padma opened her eyes to darkness. The hat was so enormous it nearly covered her entire head. She was just about to chuckle, when a voice inside her head spoke.

"Do you think you're daring and bold, my dear?" The voice very nearly scared her to death. It sent a shiver down her spine. She wondered if she was losing her nerve on that very spot. It occurred to her that she had no idea if she would consider herself adventurous. It could be said that being so was reckless and rash. Padma pursed her lips together, without answering.

"You have potential in here to be brave, my dear." Came the reply. "But, alas, it's not enough."

_Enough what?_ Padma mused. Did she hear a chuckle in return?

"Ah. Perhaps you are fair to a fault? Are you afraid of hard work?" Padma scoffed at the voice. She was hardly foolhardy just. There were some things that she couldn't help. For instance, any time Parvati spent any time with their father, Padma felt a surge of jealousy. _They have nothing in common!_ She'd always tell herself, frowning. She would hold it over her father for days. _Everyone knows Mum is Parvati's favorite. Why does she have to take my time away?_

This time, it was a snort. "No, no. Definitely not. Do you prefer books to people? Would you say you're quick-minded?"

Padma smirked. _Books don't get upset when you don't talk. Books don't yell at you, or tell you that you're a goody-goody. Books don't-_

"Yes, yes. The voice answered. Its tone seemed mocking. "I understand completely. I see that you are crafty. You have a great gift. No one would ever see **you** coming, would they?"

Padma opened her mouth to vocally reply. She felt insulted by the hat. How **dare** it call her that! _Why, if this wasn't school property I'd-_

"Oh well. Better be –" Suddenly, there was a movement on top of her head as the brim ripped open before shouting, "RAVENCLAW!"


End file.
